Kenichi Tajima

Tastings Social Presents Mountain Bird

Chef Kenichi Tajima was born in Tokyo, Japan, and attended the prestigious Seikei private school but discovered the joys and cooking using seasonal ingredients as nurtured by his mother. 

Ken has mastered traditional French culinary arts at Culinary School in France and Japan. In France, Kenichi cooked at Michelin Star dining and Bistro before he came to New York. Mountain Bird opened in 2013 and gets its name because the menu is all things fowl and poultry related, served in ingenious ways.

The whimsy of Chef Kenichi’s food when mixed with the affordable price and authentic atmosphere makes Mountain Bird a necessary part of East Harlem and to the city’s landscape

Aliyyah Baylor

Make My Cake

Aliyyah Baylor is a renowned Chief Baking Officer (CBO) of Make My Cake Bakery and Cafe. She is a third-generation baker who learned by watching her mother and grandmother cook. Aliyyah was born and raised in Harlem, NY and attended North Caroline A&T University where she received a Bachelor’s in Food Science. Some of her hobbies include traveling with her Kids, watching Football with friends and family, and of course baking.

From Harlem to Hollywood, MAKE MY CAKE®, a third generation-owned bakery beloved by A-List celebrities, local tastemakers and globe-trotters in search of that certain sweet something, serves up decadent southern-style recipes prepared by using centuries old secrets of heritage baking, inviting flavors and a generous dash of love.

Heralded by celebrated culinary countess and co-owner, Aliyyah Baylor, a Food Network favorite who has been featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, the brands’ two retail locations in Harlem have caught the eye of the mainstream media, as well. According to Florence Fabricant, a venerated food writer for the New York Times, the popular Red Velvet Cake baked at MAKE MY CAKE®, is a “Dark red two-layer cake with decided chocolate overtones and a straightforward cream cheese icing, perhaps a classic.” In addition to the New York Times, MAKE MY CAKE® has been featured in the New York Daily News, New York Post, Washington Post, New York Times Magazine, and Daily Candy and on local television stations.

Aliyyah credits her mother, Joann Baylor and her maternal grandmother, a southern matriarch lovingly known as “Ma Smith”, whose roots stretch from Alabama and Mississippi to New York for training her in the craft, fostering her entrepreneurial spirit and respect for community. MAKE MY CAKE®, which humbly began with Ma Smith selling baked goods from her kitchen in the 1940’s to friends and neighbors who wanted a special cake and dessert to commemorate their special occasions now serves bus-loads of discerning customers a day and boasts a celebrity clientele that includes comedic mavens, Tina Fey and Whoopi Goldberg, the casts of the soon to be released film, ADMISSION, blockbuster shows 30 Rock and Law & Order, as well as, Alicia Keys and power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

Stop by one of the two MAKE MY CAKE®, Harlem-based retail locations or visit makemycake.com today and discover for yourself the home-baked taste that keeps people of all walks of life coming back from more. It’s sure to be love at first bite.

Alyah Horsford-Sidberry

Cove Lounge

Alyah Horsford-Sidberry is known throughout Harlem for her work within real estate. Lately she has begun to make a major splash on the Harlem scene with her latest business venture within the restaurant and lounge industry. Cove Lounge provides the foundation of what Harlem nightlife and dining should be, sophistication mixed with an urban edge. 

She decided to make her next business venture one that would not only benefit her, but the Harlem economy and community as well. Harlem is also the place this New York native spent most of her childhood and where she called home since 1994. A career within real estate and nightlife fits within Horsford-Sidberry's business motto of building relationships, a lesson she learned from her Grandfather who started the family real estate business in the early 1940's. Alyah also learned the lesson to "stay the course, do not be discouraged and always trust your instincts." These major lessons have helped to make both Cove Lounge and Horsford Group a success.   

Inspired to dream back at an early age, Alyah hopes to encourage others by empowering younger individuals to work hard to achieve their goals, so they too, can do exactly what they love. Alyah an energetic and innovative owner, lives daily by the mantra "faith plus work equals success" and that "networking helps to build solid relationships." Alyah has press accolades from:  Essence, Food Network, TheRoot and other media outlets.

She proudly resides in Harlem, NY, with her husband and two sons. 

Chaiwali

Anita Trehan

Anita Trehan created Chaiwali out of her passion for food, design and wellness. Part New Delhi, part New York, she grew up experiencing a rich tradition of home cooking. Food at home and on the street united rich and poor, just by being tasty. Upon moving to New York, she discovered tastes from all over the world - a global food bazaar! - and she taught herself to cook. After a career in hospitality and philanthropy, Anita decided to create Chaiwali, to combine flavors she grew up with, with new ones she discovered in New York. She wanted to address health through food, but in ways that incorporated wellness without being trendy. When her daughter developed severe food allergies, Anita discovered new ways to cook and to heal, thereby creating a Chaiwali menu that caters to all.

Humberto Guallpa

Row House

Growing up in rural Ecuador, Humberto and his family managed a small farm of vegetables and livestock for the sole purpose of feeding the family. With the exclusion of rice and salt all the family’s ingredients were home grown. This future chef displayed his intense interest in the culinary arts by assisting his grandmother in the kitchen and learning everything he possibly could about the preparation of healthy and balanced meals.

Humberto has worked and perfected his craft alongside many of New York’s top rated chefs including Mario Batali, Marco Polo, Paul Zweben, Larry Forgione, Marcus Samuelson, Rocco Dispirito, Julian Alonzo, Franklin Becker and Steve Frapoli. Chef Humberto’s unique style can be generally described as French but is greatly influenced by his eclectic knowledge and Spanish culture creating an extraordinary French American Bistro.